Proactive approach can mitigate
after-effects of incident
Of course, the best way to manage a
disruptive incident is by being proactive in
the first place — usually by implementing
engagement-fostering policies, clearly
communicating responsibilities and
corporate objectives to employees on an
ongoing basis, and applying all workplace
policies in a clear and consistent manner.
Equally important is improving hiring
practices at the management level, with
a focus on hiring managers who can
motivate and inspire employees with
their leadership and strategic expertise,
not to mention nurturing a culture built
on mutual respect and integrity.
Unfortunately, there are times when it's
simply too late for a proactive approach.
In these situations, managers should focus
on maintaining regular communication
throughout the post-incident period, as
well as ensuring their visibility and avail
-
ability. at means training leaders to an-
swer employee questions and concerns in
a consistent manner — perhaps in a series
of town hall-style meetings, if necessary —
and implementing a comprehensive resolu
-
tion process comprised of a post-incident
assessment to help understand the impact
of the disruptive event, along with an eval-
uation detailing the additional steps re-
quired to restore relationships and rebuild
the culture.
at process will inevitably include a se-
ries of staff and management meetings, as
well as management coaching sessions to
rebuild morale and remind leaders of their
role as cultural ambassadors. Another op
-
tion is to enhance performance monitoring
processes to restore employee productiv-
ity, or introduce team-building exercises
to improve relationships and reiterate core
values. In some cases, employee schedules
may need to be altered to avoid contentious
staff interactions — in others, employee ter
-
minations may be the only viable option.
Because no two cultures are the same,
one of the most important considerations
is to customize the workplace restoration
process to suit your organization — then be
patient. Leveraging the right strategy can
help your company avoid HR law-related
escalations and recover from a disruptive
incident, but it takes time, resources and, in
all cases, a great degree of leadership com
-
mitment.
Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2016
CREDIT:
RAWPIXEL.COM/SHUTTERSTOCK
January
20,
2016
|
Canadian
Employment
Law
Today
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LAURA WILLIAMS
Laura Williams is the founder and principal of
Williams HR Law, a human resources law firm in
Markham, Ont., serving employers exclusively.
She can be reached at (905) 205-0496 or
lwilliams@williamshrlaw.com.
